Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Chores

I am supposed to be doing chores. Or calling Dad to see how he is doing. I don't think I will be traveling down to the cities today, so hope he is feeling better.
We have 9 inches as of an hour and a half ago, and it is still coming down, sometimes in big flakes and other times those nasty little ones that seem to fill up the yard and roads faster.
Measured the 9 inches on my top step where the wind hasn't gotten to it. Pretty safe place to measure. Metal yardstick does wonders.
The garbage pickup truck was just here, so I guess there are others out and about, although I haven't heard the snowplow yet. I shouldn't complain, Manistitque, MI, has tons of snow compared to our measly 9 inches. Ach! I need to get out of my jammies, comfortable as they are...they are the blue ones this time. I really love the fleece jammies and should toss all the other sleep shirts out....except when it gets warmer and I can't wear these any more. The horns of a dilemma! Well, need to call my sister, she sent me the most marvelous recipe for 15 Minute Tex-Mex Rice Casserole. Gotta make sure there isn't one ingredient missing though.
Huggs to all, and safe driving, ya hear!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all,
We spent a quiet Christmas Eve and went up to Grand Rapids, MN, to spend Christmas Day with my in-laws. Arrived around four p.m. and only an hour late. Roads were fine, after my mishap with my little pick-up on the bridge leading out of town towards Foreston. I was thankful to the good Lord that there weren't any vehicles heading east. I landed in the ditch just past Cemetery road, about 20 feet in. Blasted through one heck of a hard, ice-packed drift, went airborne a bit and 'drove' the last 10 or so feet when I stopped. Not a pleasant experience.
Evidently I wasn't the only one that hit the black ice on the bridge that day. A lady with a wheelchair equipped vehicle was the first. Why wasn't there a police car stationed at the side by the bridge? Good question.
Got home after the tow with a ride from a very good friend, and called 911 to mention that the bridge was slippery.
She told me she knew, that they had put in three calls to the highway department for sanding the bridge and were ignored. Go figure.

Took two days for the engine compartment to melt of snow. Only damage is the bumper where my beloved fog lights are, is not attached any longer. Will have to go somewhere for body work to get it re-attached. Except for a small power steering leak, everything seems to be running fine.
I am driving with four-wheel drive if it is the slightest bit icy...doesn't stop me from fish-tailing, but at least I have four wheels pulling at a slow speed. If they want to pass, I will wave to them as I pass when they land in the ditch.
Went to the Nosbusch Christmas Party today, and started out slipping and sliding just off our hill. Really didn't want to experience another ditch episode, but made it to the highway all right and proceeded to the party. It was nice, and nice to spend time with friends. (Forgot how squealey children under four can be.) But it was a good time spent.
Have other things going on, but don't really want to talk about it as I don't need to bring anyone else down for the holidays.
Have a good holiday season, and be careful for the New Year's driving. I don't want to lose anyone this year.
Huggs, to all,
CJ

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Just for today...

Just for today I want all the problems I have to be put on hold.
Isn't that what we all would like in this holiday time?
Then we tell ourselves that we can enjoy the season and not be hurried and rushed and cranky because we feel that we can't get every thing done that we think we should be doing?
I don't decorate the house for the holidays, I guess I lost my passion for it when the kids all left the house, but I will say that I didn't do much while they were little either. That must be a fault of mine as one daughter loves to decorate her house. Even the bathroom is displaying decorations for each holiday in turn.
Sometimes I look at all the decorations and think that I should and would love to decorate. But I never do. It isn't that I don't have the decorations, I do, but the thought of dragging them all down and then having to find room and displacing the things that I do have out, gets to be a large issue with me and time.
So to all of those of you that do decorate, a big Thank You! I envy you your passion and energy to do that. Please add a little 'extra' for me.
A little "lagniappe".
For the rest of us, just take each day a little slower in your mind. Savor all that comes your way.
When the cards come, look at each one, remember the sender, and if you are of the propensity, say a small prayer for them. Then go on to the next card.
Cherish and relish each day. We only have so many days in our life, try to enjoy each one to the fullest. Most times, it just takes a little slowing down mentally to get the job done.
My best to all this Holy Season.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

my letter to Jill

Yikes Jill!
Please, please, please don't let Chief CHEW on them. Those bits could get caught in his intestines and kill him! You wouldn't know the symptoms until way too late.
It is like my friend's dauschhound that ate some tinsel. He had been around it for years and years and never bothered with it. By the time he was ill enough to show symptoms, the run to the vet was too late. She lost her beloved little dog.
It is the same with people giving their dogs those DAMMNED rawhide bones. Two of my friend's basset hounds had to have emergency surgery and almost didn't make it because the rawhide had become caught in their intestine and had to be surgically removed. $300.00 each dog later, they were allowed to go home with the proviso that Betty would get rid of all rawhide 'treats' in the house. The best present to give a dog owner is a "Nylabone", bought at any good pet store. It is all nylon, an inert material and dissolves in the dog's stomach acid when the dog chews on it to keep it's teeth and gums healthy.
Please try to keep the bags away from Chief. I kind of like that guy, my Silver thinks he is as handsome as he is, and Minnie is just over the moon for both Chief and Bert.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008 1:38:00 PM CST

CeeJay said...
P. S. The $300.00 quote was for surgery about ten years ago.

$600.00 for two dogs surgery now days is just for the anaesthesia?
Betty still gets the shakes when she thinks how close she came to losing her best buds back then.
There are specially made 'tunnels' that are plastic bags from the pet stores to make 'crinkly' sounds encased in fabric so the cat can't get to the bag, but still make the 'sound'.
I personally think he likes the 'warmth' radiating back up to his body from the plastic. It would be better to get a hunk of Fleece, cut into a generous square of about 15"x15", doubled over and hem-stitched a couple of times at the edge, into a nice pad for each cat to warm themselves on. Fleece is not that expensive for a good heavy weight fleece to make a cat pad. I have a child's small carry-blankie made by "Boo" (a company no longer available to the general public) and my cats love it. Thanks again for the YouTube flashback in memory.Cait
Tuesday, December 9, 2008 1:51:00 PM CST

CeeJay said...
PPS

Chief looks to be a long haired Siamese. Siamese are notorious to love to chew on wool and yarn products. My Siamese Sampson had that habit. The vet's solution was to remove his back teeth, which is guess is the way to stop them from chewing yarn products. I couldn't afford the surgery, so Sampson had to go to a better home than mine. We had many years of 'talking' together though. He knew in the morning when he would talk to me and I fumbled with the coffee pot and said "Sam, give me a couple of minutes to wake up, will you?" He would literally sit at the kitchen table and wait for the coffee to get done, then continue his 'conversation' with me. I hated to give him away, but I simply could not afford the surgery, but know that he went to the best home I could have found him.
He went to two elderly people that lived in an apartment building that had lost their first Siamese when someone let him out of the building. They took wonderfully good and marvelous care of Sam, and loved him as much as I would have until he passed on to the Cat Heaven to be with Jesus....and to wait for us when we got there.

What happened to the Lotus?

What happened to the Lotus?
We were anticipating a wonderful lunch with friends yesterday, and when we drove by, it wasn't there!
They were tearing down the building!
We drove in from over 2 hours away, and were so disappointed that it wasn't there.
What Happened?
Did they move somewhere else?
We had to settle for a Thai restaurant a few blocks north, on the corner of the east side of Hennepin, closest to Hennepin/Lake intersection.
Was not pleased with the waitress as we were preparing to leave.
She WOULD NOT allow ME to box my own lunch, saying she didn't want ME to MESS HER TABLE, and after four or five requests and attempts to grab my plate from her to box my own lunch, she proceeded to mix in the rice with my entire meal.
#1. I didn't want her hands touching my plate after observing she had her hands on other multiple plates with other people's saliva and germs on their plates transferring to her hands. I know she didn't take time to wash her hands between taking other people's plates into the back and coming back with the box and bag to my lunch.
#2. I had the rice in one corner so it could be plated separately from my mock duck on reheating, and she proceeded to MIX it ALL in with the rest of my entree. I need to control how much carbohydrate I consume as a leftover as I am a diabetic. It is now mixed totally, hopelessly and completely in with the mock duck entree. I unfortunately do not remember the name of the restaurant since we live over two hour's north and it was our first time there, but it is on the south-east corner of the block on Hennepin Avenue, a block or two north of Lake St.
I would have recommended the restaurant, but for her attitude in making me feel as though I was a child and would mess her table.
Heaven Forbid!
Her actions, unclean hands are enough of a turn-off that I would never eat there again.
You make your own choice....I prefer not to get sick from other people in this cold and flu season because of her unsanitary actions.

Monday, December 8, 2008

'Chemotherapy'

I have a friend that lives in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Her name is Sue D.
Sue is a very lovely, stubborn, feisty, independent, woman that does some of the most beautiful Hardanger stitching I have ever seen and is not afraid to tackle Hardanger in a table-sized piece.
She is a generous and loving friend and I love her very, very dearly.

Years ago she and her doctor discovered she had cancer.
While I don't really know exactly where her cancer was located, she told me her Mom died from cancer. Her Dad was unable to go with her to her chemo treatments because he was afraid she would die from the same cancer that took his wife.
She told me the story of when she was about to undergo chemo for the first time. Being apprehensive of the treatment, and who wouldn't be, she hired a lady clown to come in and 'entertain' her and the people undergoing treatment the same time Sue was.
While Sue was starting her treatment, she heard a voice outside the door.
"This must be the place...any place with the word "MOTHER'' in the middle of it, has to be the right place!''
With that, the lady clown came in and lessened the worry for a bit for the chemotherapy patients that day.
Years and years later, I had a dear cross stitching friend that was diagnosed with breast cancer. I asked Sue if I could relay the story to her, ironically another lady named Sue, and my Suzie said 'that it would absolutely be all right!'
I did, and my cross stitcher stitcher friend, Sue M. emailed me back.
The story I had related had touched her.
It seems that her Mother was known for her frugal methods in bringing up several children and getting the most for her money. They all called her their ''cheapy'' Mom. She said that the story particularly hit home with her because if you combine the remaining letters after you take 'Mother' out, you are left with the word 'Cheapy', and that is what they all called their dear Mother.
Sue M. did, unfortunately, pass away from the disease, but her gentleness, grace, humor, passion for counted cross stitching, and love for her fellow stitchers still live on.
My heart aches.
I miss her still.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

New clothes for Dad

I bought three new shirts, two new pair of slacks and eight more pair of the knit boxer briefs for Dad yesterday.
Two of the shirts were the brushed variety and xl in size, so he can wear them over another shirt if he desires. He was putting his arm in the 'red garnet' brushed cotton shirt and said 'Ohh, nice and warm.' So I think that was a good purchase. It is an imitation of a chamois shirt, and is just what he needs. He is wearing his sweaters out. The other just like it is a 'smoky olive' in color, both by Faded Glory brand.

The third shirt is a Puritan brand, a dress shirt, ''barley' in color, and think I should have gotten him a large instead of the xl. He said that the sleeves were just right, even though the shoulder seam is way past his shoulder. I guess it doesn't matter, it will most likely reside under a sweater also.
Then came the two pair of pants by Wrangler. I originally got him a 36 waist x 30 leg. He stood up and struggled to get the button closed, finally laughing and said that it wasn't going to get there. I looked and sure enough, quite a bit of space there. I took the measurements off of another pair of his old pants he wears. I got tired of seeing his pants leg turned up in a cuff, and thought maybe we should get a shorter leg.
He said that the length was just fine, but couldn't get his fingers to work that darned waist button. He said that he would rather get a bigger waist and then use his belt to tighten than struggle with those darned buttons.
Then he mentioned that he put the new webbed belt away and got out his old leather one.
It seems that he almost 'lost' his pants while downstairs in the common room! He is laughing as he says this, and so it must have been pretty funny. Those 'peers' of his in the building are quick to see something funny in someone's 'drawers' falling off! I teased him about losing his drawers in front of the ladies, and I meant 'mooning' them, not the other meaning, but I think he got my meaning.
So I accused him of getting 'chubby' and said I would return the slacks and get him a 38x30 size. He is trying to keep that 'manly figure' and so I am surprised he didn't comment on the larger size. But then different manufacturers cut for 'size' but are different from another brand.
He said that that would be ok and I didn't have to hurry back, Sunday, Monday or Tuesday would be all right.
I got him the same Wrangler brand in a khaki and black, both with a pleated front. Very nice slacks.
This way I am also not going down there every week and wasting gas for that hour down and hour back to collect laundry. I should be checking in on him every week though. At 93, he could fluctuate so quickly in health. Maybe I will still go down, but not to collect laundry and just to check in and see how he is doing. Then treat myself to a Thai lunch.
I have a fresh basil plant growing now and will use that in my noodle soups along with a dab of fish sauce. Don't know if that will duplicate the 'Pho' noodle soups, but am willing to give it a good try.

I almost lost the plant a few days ago, as it got so dry in the plastic sleeve, and I forgot to water it......Ooops. I have to get it planted in a pot today. I may have to ring it with chicken wire though, as I put it in the bedroom to keep it safe from the other cats, and Silver ZONED in on it on the bookcase top. He never learns. Thought he would have had enough with the stomach pumping he had when a kitten eating the poisonous azalea buds, flowers and leaves. Silly boy. Well, think I will shower and then take a nap after baking the bread for the crew dinner.
Still bummed out about my large baking circle cracking in half. I think I can still use it, but it isn't whole any more.
I posted these on a 'Little House Neighborhood' blog.
With all that has gone on since 9:30 p.m. on last Sunday nite, November 30th, my world has been turned rather upside down and rolled over.
I may get the courage to post what happened later.
Just don't want to 'skew' the results by posting now.
It will have to be after the morning of December 24th, and I may not know the results until after the HolyDay.

CeeJay said...
There is a saying that "a memory is never fogotten onece written down."I have started to do that on my blog, because at 66, I am afraid my memories are already gone.Very nice idea of the addresses.
December 6, 2008 8:18 AM

CeeJay said...
How about a chuckle for today? Posts to 'myself' and thought I would share with you. It is now around ten to eleven in my morning here in east-central Mnnesota, have been up and baked two mini quiches and one apple pie, frozen, that CRACKED MY PAMPERED CHEF BAKING TILE CIRCLE IN HALF!!! I am heartbroken, it was just starting the journey to being a mahogany color...but anyway here are my two posts.


"Can't even spell forgotten! Sheesh, did I miss out on the sleep I needed or what! No coffee, just a decaf sugar-free mocha with decaf Senseo coffee. Hmmm, something is out of place here. I know what it is! I am trying to do the 'nicey-nicey' typing as they suggest....fingers curved over the keyboard instead of the 'pounding method' I usually use. Gonna quit that curved finger scrap!

On Sat, Dec 6, 2008 at 10:31 AM, Cait wrote;obviously the memory has gone, I can't even spell once."
December 6, 2008 8:58 AM